A Special Time....

At this point in my life, it is a rare thing indeed to have some extended private quiet time with one of my children.  My daughter Caitlin has come to live with us in our guest house for the present.  Her path through life is exciting to say the least.  She works for a company that markets a sophisticated integrated broadcast computer platform to television networks and stations all over the world.  She is one of their small cadre of 'trainers' that travels the globe when a company purchases their platform and trains the staff on how to use it.  In the last 4 years she has been all over the world to some of the most exotic places on earth, getting an education and life experience that few young people her age ever receive.  

 

For Cecily and I, to have gently nudged her out of our nest and to see her fly in such a grand fashion is incredibly rewarding.  In fact, both our girls have become such gifted individuals with empathy, humor and kindness that they share unreservedly with everyone.  We are so proud of them and all they have

accomplished.  But with that success and accomplishment, we as parents inevitably experience a distancing as they pursue their dreams.  We cherish the times we spend together as they drop in to grace their parents with their presence as they follow their path through life.

 

And then, perhaps when we least expect it, an opportunity appears to get a bigger dose of them when the stars align.  Because of the pandemic, Caitlin has been training her clients from home via the computer, so for the last several months she has been living in Tampa by herself with a roommate since Shaune moved to Raleigh a year ago.  When the lease on her house came up for renewal, we offered and she decided to move into our guest house here in Naples to save some money and have the freedom to visit her boyfriend who lives in the UK.

 

And so, we have been the beneficiary of her presence in our lives for whatever time she spends here with us.  She moved in last weekend and created her own nest here just 300 feet from her parents and the result is that we are spending some wonderful moments together that certainly make our lives richer.  Having the interaction on a daily basis while still having the space between us to insure privacy is the best.  And we all know that this will be temporary, but to have these times when the world is in such flux is reassuring and comforting.

 

I see her through different eyes now.  She is an adult.  I see her navigating the potholes of life with a new sense of pride, because there was a time when she was not very adept at it, as most children are when they first start to fly.  But now she has a new confidence in her decisions and a view that is longer range than when she first started on life's journey.  It is remarkable to have a front row seat as she deals with her work and life in general.  To see your child in a new light is a rewarding experience for sure.  We feel blessed to have this time together. 

Worth Watching!

I have always been a fan of American Idol over the years because I loved to see the new talent start really raw and develop as the season progressed.  Regrettably. this series was very predictable season after season, and the format never really changed, except to try to make it more slick with higher production value.  The essence of the draw was always the talent for me though.  Over the past several years I lost interest in the repetitive nature of the format and for the last two or three seasons I really wasn't attentive to it.

 But I came back this season and am happy to tell you that the program has matured and hit a stride and rhythm that is just exactly what this kind of television should be.  Not only is it a vehicle for new and unvarnished talent, but the producers have finally struck the best balance between the emotional back stories of the contestants, highlighting only those that really have a chance to grow and win this competition.

 

In years past we were witness to many really bad auditions by people who didn't really have a shot at competing, but who the producers thought would titillate the audience and give the judges grist for snide comments and moments of ridicule.  That wore thin and I grew bored waiting for the talent that had a chance to win.  I wasn't particularly enamored of the judges either.  After Simon Cowell left, the judges comments became monotonously predictable.  For the past three seasons now, the judges are Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.  These three have great connection and interpersonal interaction.  

All three are different, yet share the same compassion and empathy for the people auditioning and competing.  We are still in the audition segments of this season, but the real competition promises to present some really unusual and gifted people who will try to grab the brass ring.

 

However, the reason I am engaged this season over other seasons is the way the structure of the auditions takes the time to tell the stories and reveal the journey with all its hopes and aspirations for the contestants.  The way the stories are told in advance of the actual moment when they sing their audition gives enough back story so that as a viewer, I am primed to experience the heartache or magnitude of the challenge each of these people has gone through to have this moment to change their lives.  I have now watched 4 episodes of auditions, and have been brought to tears at least once in each episode by who these people are and what they have experienced in their lives up to this moment.  The story of the extremely heavy set young

black woman who spent most of her young life homeless or living in a car was particularly poignant.  The courage she needed to do this audition was clearly apparent, and when she finally opened her mouth and completely stunned all of us, including the judges, it brought a welling up of emotion that I did not expect to feel.  And when the judges brought her mother into the room after the audition and we could see the moment between the two of them when their eyes met, it was heartrending and joyful.  

My point is that this and other stories are well told.  The focus of the series now seems to be firmly planted in revealing these kinds of human moments rather than only whether someone has a great voice or not.

 And now armed with this kind of information about many of the contestants, I am anxious to follow their journey because I know why this opportunity is so important to them.  I would invite all of you to try to find this program if you can and give it a viewing.  You won't be disappointed.  Kudos to American Idol, the new producers and the judges for providing a family viewing experience filled with empathy, encouragement and valuing the human spirit.

 

And just a word about Ryan Seacrest.  He has been with the series since the beginning and provides the glue that connects the stories of these people to the judges.  He is there as they walk through the door to

do the auditions and is there when they come out of the audition.  His smile and warmth has never been better.  He has matured with the series as well, and his confidence and comfortable affect garnered from all the years of experience gives the program that little extra boost of humanity and encouragement that provides the cherry on top of this sundae.

 

Bravo!